A PEST analysis is a tool that can provide

prompts to the governors, management

and staff involved in the analysis of the
changes in the school’s environment that
could impact future finance, planning and
management decisions. It can enable
them carry out a more comprehensive
analysis.
Political

 Schools being privatized (like the NHS)

A government initiative creates the risk
that the school may fail to deliver the
policy or be diverted away from local
priorities etc.
Changes to the skills required to be a
teacher/ tutor.
Changes to curriculum with short lead
times.
Requirement to be self managing.
Requirement to be self financing.
 Economic

 Central or local government funding

 Basics – books/ paper
decisions may affect school/
 Technology solutions laptops etc
establishment finances
 Interest rates.
 Closure of a local industry may affect
 Shortages of materials on national/
fund raising plans etc.
international markets.
 Ability of parents to raise funds for
 Over provision of school places in
optional activities
the area resulting in competition
 The need to run breakfast/ after schools
from neighbouring schools.
clubs
 The risk of highly valued, key staff
 Ability to invest ‘savings/ surpluses’
moving on to more ‘up and coming’
 Cost of providing resources:
schools/ academies.
 Staff – teaching & support
 Social
 Decline in birth rate,
reflecting national trends  Changes to qualifications expected
 Local population changes  Integration with local community
 Integration of students with special
(increasing/ decreasing needs
numbers)  parental preference – an increase in
 Demographic changes ‘parent power’ has allowed parents
may affect likely pupil rolls more freedom of choice over their
or the nature of pupils child’s school
 the risk of highly valued, key staff
needs e.g. pupils with moving on to more up-and-coming
English as a second establishments
language etc.  Information is accessible to staff
 Closure of local firms anywhere in the world via the
providing employment Internet
 Staff were not given enough training
 Inability to attract staff or access to effectively change their
 Social networking – blogs, habits and how they expected
facebook, twitter information to be made available
  Changes to standards/
equipment required
 Risk of selecting the wrong
technology at times of change
(i.e. windows -v- open source)
 New computer viruses may affect
school/ college operations,
Technological  Disturbing/ illegal images on the
internet may affect ICT security
measures etc.
 Move from paper based books to
e-book readers
 Computer hardware being out of
date
 Computer software being out of
date
 Time to manage IT systems
 New legislation may create risks
of non-compliance with the
law, create new administrative
burdens etc.
Changes to child protection
legislation
Raise the age of school leaving
Law age
Raise/ lower the age of starting
school. Nursery/ kindergarten
Change to school opening
hours
Changes to funding of charity
based organizations.
Health & safety legislation
 Environmental

 A new highway layout near the school

may create new dangers for pupils
etc.
 Waste disposal
 Reduction of green space available
for activities
 Changes to local bus routes
 Using a significant amounts of paper
and photocopier toner to produce
printed information.